A hydroelectric power plant is a type of dam that uses the force of gravity to generate electricity. The energy from water being released from the top of the dam, and then spinning turbines as it falls down, creates electricity. Hydroelectric power plants are often located near large bodies of water like lakes or oceans because they need a lot of water to operate efficiently. Hydroelectric plants produce clean, renewable energy with no air pollution or greenhouse gases. Here are some places in the world where you can visit these amazing facilities!
Three Gorges, China
The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River was built from 1994 to 2003 and is located in China. This hydroelectric dam has a height of 183 meters (600 ft). The total cost for this project was $22 billion, which equals out to about $300 million per kilometer! It also only took three years to build the dam, which means that it is one of the fastest construction projects in human history.
The Three Gorges Dam has a capacity to produce 22,500 megawatts (MW). This hydroelectric power plant contributes approximately 40% of China’s total electricity generation and creates about 115 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year.
Itaipu, Brazil & Paraguay
The Itaipu Dam is considered the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant, and it also contributes to a considerable amount of energy. This dam is located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, with 86% in Brazil (equaling 11,000 MW) and 14% in Paraguay (equal to 1600MW).
It took seven years to build, with construction beginning in 1975 and ending on October 18, 1984. The total cost of this project was $23 billion (equivalent to about $300 million per kilometer).
Xiluodu, China
The Xiluodu Dam is the third-largest hydroelectric power plant in China. It was built from 2009 to 2010 and had a capacity of 12,500 MW.
This project cost about $12 billion for its construction (equivalent to about $150 million per kilometer). The total height of this dam is 186 meters (620 ft), which means it is the same height as The Three Gorges Dam.
The Xiluodu hydroelectric power plant contributes about 13% of China’s total electricity generation and creates about 46 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year.
Guri, Venezuela
The Guri Dam is located in the country of Venezuela. This dam was built from 1967 to 1973 and had a capacity of 12,000 MW. It cost about $600 million per kilometer for its construction (equal to about $150 million). The total height is 214 meters (706 ft) tall, which makes it slightly higher than Xiluodu Dam.
This hydroelectric power plant contributes approximately 20% of Venezuela’s total electricity generation and generates 98 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year. Guri also happens to be one of the oldest dams on this list, with an age that is over 50 years old!
Belo Monte, Brazil
Belo Monte is the fourth largest hydroelectric power plant in Brazil. This dam was built from 2011 to 2015 and had a capacity of 11,233 MW.
The total cost for this project was $15 billion (equivalent to about $180 million per kilometer). The height on this project is 165 meters tall (514 ft), which makes it slightly lower than both Xiluodu and Guri Dam.
This dam also contributes approximately 20% of Brazil’s total electricity generation and generates 83 terawatt-hours (TWh) each year.
In September 2013, there were three deaths at Belo Monte due to landslides caused by heavy rains that led to flooding near the construction site.
Tucurui, Brazil
The Tucurui Dam is the fifth largest hydroelectric power plant in Brazil. It was built from 1972 to 1975 and had a capacity of 11,223 MW.
It cost about $350 million per kilometer for its construction (equivalent to about $180 million). The height on this project is 187 meters (620 ft) which makes it slightly higher than Guri but not as high as Xiluodu or Belo Monte Dams.
This dam also contributes approximately 20% of Brazil’s total electricity generation and generates 86 terawatt-hours (TWh) each year.
Grand Coulee, USA
The Grand Coulee Dam is the sixth-largest hydroelectric power plant in North America. It was built from 1933 to 1942 and had a capacity of 25,000 MW.
It cost about $200 million per kilometer for its construction (equivalent to about $150 million). The height of this project is 235 meters (770 ft) which makes it one of the tallest dams on this list.
This dam also contributes approximately 13% of the USA’s total electricity generation but generates 110 terawatt-hours (TWh) each year which is not as much as others because it does not have many facilities that are operational right now due to age and maintenance issues that need fixing before they can be used again.
Xiangjiaba, China
The Xiangjiaba Dam is the seventh-largest hydroelectric power plant in China. It was built from 2011 to 2013 and had a capacity of 12,500 MW.
Construction on this project began in 2008 (equivalent to about $150 million per kilometer). The height on this project is 185 meters which makes it shorter than Xiluodu, Guri, and Belo Monte Dams but taller than Tucurui Dam.
This dam produces approximately 13% of China’s total electricity generation each year, with 46 terawatt-hours coming out every year as well despite being only one of two dams that produce less energy for its size compared to others.